Match preview: Barnet

The Spireites will look to get back to winning ways, after losing two away games in a row, when they return to the Proact to face Barnet on Saturday. Here is our big match preview for the game…..

Tickets

Tickets can be bought online, or supporters can purchase their tickets on the day of the game, from the Club Superstore from 9am-12pm and then from the ticket office, which will be open from 12pm until kick off.

Team News

New signings Callum Burton and Haydn Hollis are included in the squad, whie Jerome Binnom-Williams is still suspended after getting sent-off against Barrow. Sam Wedgbury and Charlie Carter will also miss the game, after picking up injuries against Barrow and Salford. Gozie Ugwu is available again injury, after missing the last two matches.

The Opposition

Barnet are yet to record a victory so far this season, drawing their first two, and losing their last three games. However, the Spireites will have to be wary of the London club, as they have plenty of talent at their disposal.

Manager – John Still

After his career was cut short by injury, Still began his coaching career at a young age. After managing at part-time level in the lower divisions, with clubs such as Maidstone United and Dartford, he took over at Second Division side Peterborough United in 1994. But it was at Barnet where he first found success.

He moved to the then Third Division club in 1997, taking them to the play-offs in his first season, eventually losing 3-2 to Colchester United in the semi-finals. He led them to the play-offs once again in the 1999-2000 season, but came up short again after they were beaten by his former club Peterborough 5-1 on aggregate.

Still moved to Dagenham and Redbridge in 2004, and in his third season at the club, they won the Conference title. They won the league title with five games to spare, and it was the first time the club had reached the Football League. In the 2009/10 season, Still and his team achieved the clubs highest ever league finish, as they finished seventh in the table. This gave them a place in the play-offs, and in the semi-finals, they beat Morecambe 7–2 on aggregate, which included a 6–0 win in the first leg. They then faced Rotherham at Wembley in the final and beat them 3-2, the first time the club had been in the third tier of English football.

He also had success at Luton Town, where he took them into League 2, after winning the conference title in the 2013/14 season. It was a record campaign for Luton, which included the longest league unbeaten run (27 matches), most consecutive away matches unbeaten (15), most clean sheets (23), and most points accumulated (101). This achievement made Still the only manager to have taken three different clubs to promotion out of non-League football.

Still is now back at Barnet, after taking over from Spireites manager Martin Allen this summer.

One to watch - Shaquile Coulthirst

Coulthirst started his career as a youth player at Tottenham Hotspur, and made his first appearance for the Premier League club against Anzhi Makhachkala, in the Champions League group stages. After numerous loans at clubs such as Leyton Orient, Southend United and Wigan Athletic, he moved to Peterborough United on a permanent deal.

However, after falling out of favour at Peterborough, he moved to Barnet at the beginning of last season. He scored ten goals in a season where Barnet were relegated, and has already got on the scoresheet this campaign. Coulthirst will certainly be a threat to the Spireites defence on Saturday.

Head to head

The Spireites have faced Saturday’s opponents on 20 occasions, winning 9, drawing 3 and losing 8 times. The most recent game being a 3-0 loss for Chesterfield away at Barnet, in May this year.

From the dugout

Martin Allen: "There’s never going to be an easy game in this division.

"Some of those Barnet players I know very, very well. Some of them are very special to me personally because they are champions and after the game, I hope I get the chance to see them all properly and have a chat with them in my office.

“But prior to the game and in the build-up, we have to be totally focused on our football club and then after the game, I’ll be first to shake everybody’s hand and welcome everybody from Barnet.”